Lovely shrubbly!
They may not be hip, but there’s nothing better for adding drama to your garden
THE choice of plants available to gardeners has changed dramatically over the past 20 years. Species that were once hard to find or considered difficult to grow – from ornamental grasses to leafy exotics – are now part of the mainstream.
Having such an extensive range of plants is wonderful, but it’s come at a price for traditional shrubs. Once regarded as the backbone of every garden, they’ve been replaced in our affections by these trendy newcomers. Their falling out of favour has been made even worse by a demand for flowering perennials. These are seen as the glamour queens of the garden, while shrubs are sometimes described as frumpy or boring.
What nonsense. Many shrubs are exciting, dramatic and drop-dead gorgeous. Some create a memorable seasonal highlight in the garden with their flowers, berries, bark or autumn foliage. Others work hard to earn their keep all year round.
In my opinion, few other groups of plants are quite as versatile. Shrubs can draw the eye; cover bare patches; attract wildlife; and are ideal for punctuating displays. There are dwarf and tall varieties, both flowering and foliage types, that make perfect internal and external boundaries.
There’s no better time to start planting. Establishing shrubs in late spring or summer is difficult, as they require a lot of water; plant them in winter and they’ll settle down quickly in moist soil, forming roots that will enable the plants to burst into life in a few months’ time.
Few gardens look good in winter, but there are plenty of shrubs that will provide a much-needed injection of colour. Mahonia x media ‘Winter Sun’ is an architectural beauty with holly-like leaves and densely packed spikes of scented, bright yellow flowers. Give it plenty of space as it’s capable of soaring to 15ft with a spread of 12ft.
Dogwoods, or cornus, are famed for their bright stems that are revealed once leaves fall in autumn. These come in many of shades of red, yellow, green and near-black. The best of the lot, for me, is Cornus sanguinea ‘Winter Beauty’, due to its unusual com- bination of two-tone, yellow and red stems. Even though it’s known as winter jasmine, the lemon-yellow blooms that appear on the bare stems of Jasminum nudiflorum are odourless. Still, it’s worth finding space for this wall shrub as it flowers prolifically between January and early spring. If you are looking for scented shrubs, try Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Jelena’, Viburnum bodnantense ‘Dawn’ or Lonicera x purpusii ‘Winter Beauty’. For spring flowers, you can’t beat lilacs. Syringa pubescens subsp patula ‘Miss Kim’ is a cracker with fragrant, pale purple flowers in May that fade to white by early summer. Another shrub to make an impact in this season is Deutzia gracilis. An elegant, 3ft shrub from Japan, it has snowy white flowers. They might be regarded as passé by some, but I’ve long had a soft spot for flowering currants. Ribes sanguineum ‘Brocklebankii’ has pendent clusters of pale pink flowers that stand out well against a foil of golden leaves, and Ribes sanguineum ‘Pulborough Scarlet’ boasts deep red blooms that smother bushes from March to April. The lobed foliage carries a distinct aroma of blackcurrants.
Rhododendron luteum, camellia x williamsii ‘Debbie’ and Magnolia stellata are all admirable spring-flowering shrubs that like acidic soil. If you can’t cater for their growing requirements, raise them in large pots of ericaceous compost to enjoy a spectacular display of colour.
PHILADELPHUS, ceanothus, hebe, l avender, ceratostigma and a host of other shrubs compete with perennials for attention in summer. Convolvulus cneorum isn’t as well known, but this Mediterranean gem with silvery, evergreen leaves has masses of saucer-shaped white flowers from early spring onwards. Introduced to Britain in 1640, it likes a sunny spot and very well drained soil.
Buddleias are ideal for those who want to attract wildlife and enjoy a summer spectacle. Buddleia davidii ‘Black Knight’, B davidii ‘White Profusion’ and B davidii ‘Empire Blue’ are all tried and tested varieties that can reach 10ft. If you’re short of space, try B ‘Buzz Indigo’, which grows to only 4ft. Brand new for 2015, its stems carry spires of deep blue flowers. Shrubs with berries and striking foliage come to the fore in aautumn. Euonymus europaeus ‘Red Cascade’, or spindle, hhas leaves that turn scarlet, and long-lasting pink fruit that crack open to reveal orange seeds. Callicarpa bodinieri ‘ Profusion’ is a large shrub that’s grown for its clusters of exquisite pink berries that appear on bare branches.
If you have a really small garden, or are after something special with more than one season of interest, then Nandina domestica ‘Firepower’, commonly known as heavenly bamboo, is the answer. Its yellow-green leaves turn an orangey red from late autumn until spring. White summer flowers are sometimes followed by glossy red berries. Despite its common name, this compact shrub is not actually a dwarf form of bamboo, but a member of the same family of plants as berberis and mahonia.